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We are delighted to announce that Callum Laidlaw has been selected as our candidate for Edinburgh Northern & Leith in the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021.
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About Callum
Callum is determined to stand-up for Edinburgh and ensure Scotland’s capital gets the support and resources it needs which is why he stood for Council and is now standing for Holyrood.
Elected to City of Edinburgh Council in 2017, he is the Conservative Group’s Education Spokesperson on the Council, sits on the city’s Licensing Board and is a Non-Executive Director of Transport for Edinburgh.
In addition, Callum is also a Director of a corporate communications firm and has spent time working in London and internationally.
Callum has a long-standing commitment to the Conservative party, having been an Association Ward Chairman in London and standing for Holyrood in 2016 in Falkirk East, Falkirk in the 2017 General Election and taking on Joanna Cherry in Edinburgh South West in the 2019 General Election.
Callum grew up in this constituency and now lives in Leith.
Callum's Priorities
Callum believes that the SNP is denying thousands of ordinary Scots a voice, those who voted against independence and who want a parliament at Holyrood that delivers on the powers already devolved.
He will champion a Conservatism that is straight-talking, aspirational and focused on delivering access to opportunity. A Conservatism that values education as the foundation of personal and societal success. A Conservatism that is tough on crime and anti-social behaviour and supports our police and armed forces. And a Conservatism that recognises only by supporting and encouraging enterprise and economic empowerment can we lift people out of poverty.
As a Councillor he has put these principles into action. The son of a teacher, as Education Spokesperson, he has successfully fought to keep schools from closure, fought for funds to refurbish schools like Trinity Academy, countered the reduction in subject choice and addressed the growing attainment gap for the most deprived, fighting to keep open community breakfast clubs.
Tacking crime and anti-social behaviour has also been a focus. He successfully called for the set-up of a graffiti working group on the council, addressed noise, nuisance and crime on Portobello beach, campaigned successfully for the reopening of public toilets and chaired his Local Community Safety Partnership where he has worked with the police and victims of crime.
But as someone who also continues to have a career outside politics Callum understands that the Scottish Government needs to do much more to listen to businesses, give them a voice and encourage greater investment in Scotland through constitutional stability, upskilling and incentives. He believes that for too long the SNP have taken Edinburgh for granted, starving the city of funding while enjoying the proceeds of a high tax take while the continued constitutional uncertainty has discouraged investment in Scotland.
Callum believes passionately that it is time for real change. For a new Conservative Scottish Government that will stand-up for Scotland. That will put aside past divisions and that will work to deliver the better healthcare, education and justice that people demand after 13 years of Nationalist mismanagement. That will work with not against the Government at Westminster to deliver a better future for all.
